Eat Great. Feel Great.
Our Summer Salad collaboration with Nutrition & Health Coach, Rachel Matthews.
At Poulet Bonne Femme, the idea of Eat Great. Feel Great. has always sat quietly at the centre of what we do. It is there in the sourcing of our chicken, in the way we cook, and in the kind of food we choose to offer people every day. Generous, flavour-led, rooted in quality. But increasingly, it is also about how that food makes you feel after you’ve eaten it.
As we began to think about expanding our offering into a more considered salad collection, it felt important that this wasn’t an afterthought or a token gesture towards “healthier” options. Instead, it needed to reflect the same level of care, intention and integrity as everything else we serve. Bringing in the right collaborator was essential.
Rachel Matthews, Nutrition & Health Coach
Rachel Matthews was an obvious choice. A nutrition and health coach based locally to our Dún Laoghaire store, Rachel’s work is grounded in a refreshingly practical philosophy. One that prioritises real food, great ingredients, seasonality, and a deep understanding of how what we eat supports how we feel. Just as importantly, she is part of the same community that Poulet Bonne Femme serves every day.
That local connection matters to us. Through our Neighbourhood Club, we have always believed in the people around us. Not only because it strengthens the fabric of the business, but because it brings a sense of authenticity and shared purpose to what we create. This collaboration is a natural extension of that ethos.
From the outset, there was a clear alignment in how we thought about food. Quality ingredients, strong provenance, and a respect for flavour first and foremost. What Rachel brought to the table was a deeper nutritional framework that could sit comfortably within that world, enhancing it rather than changing it.
The result is a collection of salads that feel as satisfying as they are considered. Each one is deisgned with a clear intention, not only in terms of taste and texture, but in the diversity of ingredients used. There is an elevated approach to the combinations and an understanding that nourishment does not need to be complicated to be effective.
As Rachel explains:
“When Poulet Bonne Femme approached me to collaborate on this signature salad collection, I knew immediately it was the right fit. We share the same fundamental values around food: quality ingredients, provenance, and eating seasonally where possible. That alignment made the whole process feel natural.
Every salad was designed with intention. I wanted maximum colour on the plate, because colour in food signals diversity of phytonutrients and antioxidants. But colour was just the starting point; what I was really building towards was variety because we now know that the single greatest driver of a healthy gut microbiome is fibre and the number of different plants we eat each week. Across these four salads, we've included a variety of legumes, complex carbs and bright seasonal vegetables along with lots of fresh herbs, nuts and seeds. That kind of diversity isn't accidental; it's the whole point.
Fibre follows naturally from plant variety, and it’s everything when it comes to gut health, sustained energy, and keeping us full and satisfied.
As these salads are designed to sit alongside Poulet Bonne Femme's delicious free-range rotisserie chicken, protein was always part of the picture too, I wanted each dish to contribute meaningfully to a complete, balanced plate.
The result is food that works hard nutritionally without ever feeling like it's trying. That's exactly the kind of nutrition I champion every day, and exactly the kind of food Poulet Bonne Femme has always stood for.”
This seasonal salad selection is our shared way of bringing more variety, more colour and more considered nourishment to the table, while still holding onto the sense of pleasure and ease that defines the PBF brand.
They sit naturally alongside our free-range rotisserie chicken, completing the plate in a way that feels balanced, generous and, ultimately, satisfying.
Because when food is made well, with care and with intention, the outcome is simple.
You eat well. You feel well!
Now, Meet the Salads!
Moroccan-inspired barley salad
Inspired by the warm flavours of North African cuisine, this salad is built around pearl barley, one of the most fibre-rich grains you can eat, layered up with colour, texture and flavour. Artichokes, fresh parsley and mint bring a freshness made for this time of year, while almonds, walnuts and chia seeds add satisfying crunch and plant-based protein. The spiced dressing (cumin, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric) provides much more than just flavour as these spices are some of the most studied anti-inflammatory ingredients in the world.
A salad that genuinely earns its spot on the plate.
Vegetarian Green Goddess Main
Bulgur wheat is an underrated powerhouse — high in fibre, low in fat, and with a nutty, satisfying bite that holds its own alongside chunky chickpeas and crisp seasonal vegetables. What sets this one apart is the dressing: a creamy blend of cottage cheese, fresh basil, chives, capers and scallions that together are surprisingly light, and entirely addictive.
Clean, fresh, and built for the season.
Vegan rainbow chopped salad w/ lentils and a cumin and date dressing
This is the full spectrum of colour, and all these veggies bring their own distinct set of phytonutrients as well as deliver the type plant diversity our gut genuinely thrives on. The lentils provide a substantial hit of both fibre and protein, making this far more filling than it might first appear. The date and cumin dressing is naturally sweet, deeply savoury, and a little unexpected!!
This is the one for people who think they don’t like salad.
Vegan quinoa and Chickpea salad
If I had to pick one salad that captures everything we were trying to get with this collaboration, it might be this one!! Quinoa and chickpeas together create a complete protein base, and the variety of vegetables, fruits and nuts across the bowl — eleven excl the dressing — makes this one of the most microbiome-supportive things you can eat. Roast garlic and lemon form the base of the dressing, lifted with a touch of balsamic and tamari for depth.
Its bold enough to stand alone but balanced enough to complement as a side dish.